HonorHealth Research Institute has joined a small group of US centres enrolling patients in a phase 2 trial of a novel platelet-targeting stroke therapy. Developed by Basking Biosciences, it is first new mechanistic approach to ischemic stroke treatment in nearly 30 years, offering a potential lifeline to patients who fall outside traditional care protocols.
Shifting the paradigm: from fibrin to platelets
While traditional thrombolytics focus on fibrin degradation, this novel therapy targets and inhibits von Willebrand Factor (vWF), a key protein in platelet adhesion. By targeting an alternative but crucial factor in the clotting pathway, researchers aim to reopen blocked vessels that are often resistant to standard clot-dissolving agents or too distal for mechanical intervention.
The ongoing Recanalization in Acute Ischemic Stroke (RAISE) trial is exploring the drug’s potential to extend the narrow 4.5-hour treatment window to 24 hours. Increasing the time treatment can be applied could potentially increase the patient population that is eligible for revascularisation procedures by nearly 50%, addressing a massive unmet need in the $1.2bn stroke market.
Clinical perspectives and safety
Beyond its mechanism of action, the drug’s unique design allows clinicians to reverse the effects of the medication if needed, providing a safety “off-switch” that current therapies lack. For high-risk patients who may require emergency surgery or experience bleeding complications, this is a critical development.
“We’ve been without an alternative for a long time,” explains Dr Ashutosh Jadhav, Medical Director of Stroke Services, HonorHealth. “There is a great deal of excitement that we may be able to expand our tool kit and give every patient the best chance possible. This represents a completely new approach to treating ischemic stroke.”
Dr Shahid Nimjee, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Basking Biosciences, adds: “Our commitment is to change stroke care by advancing BB-031 through phase 2b and beyond, to deliver a therapy that expands access and addresses this critical gap.”
Strategic outlook
For the pharmaceutical industry, the success of this drug would validate the use of RNA aptamers in acute critical care settings. Such a validation could redefine the standard of care for the world’s leading cause of long-term disability.
